The inestimable Atul Gawande (author of The Checklist Manifesto) has done it again with a brilliant little column in the New Yorker.

Continue reading “It’s Not Best Practice, It’s Best Recovery that creates excellence” →

So, it appears fairly certain now that the Coalition Government is going to announce – sometime next year – Spending Review 2013. Continue reading “Spending Review 2013 – politics trumps planning, again.” →

Here’s the summary of my contributions to yesterday’s discussion on the Guardian Public Leaders Network. Continue reading “Civil Service – getting on or getting out? (Guardian discussion)” →

I understand something of the frustration and anger of the relatives of the Hillsborough victims because I had a similar experience – albeit on a much smaller scale. British officialdom has a cult of secrecy and cover-up that is still with us, even if is has gotten slightly better.

In 1982 my younger brother Gary, 21, was killed. He was beaten up and died of a heart attack. Officialdom made this horrible situation worse by acts of secrecy. Continue reading “Hillsborough and Transparency: why I know something of how the relatives feel about not getting the truth (until now)” →

It is quite likely we are moving, hesitatingly and perhaps not in a straight line, towards an era of coalition governments in the UK. Continue reading “Playing the Game Like Adults: Coalition does not mean Coalescence.” →